It is common to use plastic tubing to distribute water to various locations for irrigation purposes. In such use, hollow irrigation emitter barbs are mounted as desired on the plastic tubing. Such barbs are hollow allowing the water contained within the tubing to be distributed, or emitted, as desired. Small diameter flexible tubing can be mounted on the barbs to place the water where desired.
Irrigation emitter barbs are generally symmetrical and are provided with sharp piercing points at both ends to penetrate the wall of the tubing. Further, enlarged heads are provided to impede the withdrawal of the barb from the tubing. While irrigation emitter barbs can be installed by hand, the sharp piercing points can cause injury to workers. In fact, the present invention was inspired after applicant viewed the bloodied hands of workers installing a large number of such irrigation emitter barbs.
Various types of installation tools are well known in art. For example, punch tools have been employed which punch the hole in the tubing for the subsequent placement of irrigation emitter barbs. However, installation still requires handling of the sharp piercing points by the installer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,985 entitled LABORATORY TOOL which issued on Sep. 16, 1980 to Greenleaf discloses a ferrule removal tool which utilizes a solid post and slot combination which engages the end, not the periphery, of a tube to remove a ferrule therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,321 entitled EAR TAG APPLICATORS which issued on Feb. 5, 1985 to Fearing et al. shows the use of a tapered pin to engage the interior recess of a hard conical spike portion of a two piece animal tag. The spike rests upon a platform of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,339 entitled IRRIGATION FITTING WITH INSTALLATION BARB AND ASSOCIATED INSTALLATION BARB TOOL which issued on Jun. 11, 1985 to Costa discloses an irrigation fitting barb and associated barb insertion tool. However, the Costa tool requires use of the specific Costa fitting to properly function and thus does not function with standard irrigation emitter barbs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,846 entitled INSERTION TOOL which issued on Jan. 12, 1983 to Bryant discloses a hand held tool for inserting fittings or flow control devices into an irrigation line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,616 entitled SELF-PERFORATING DRIP IRRIGATION DEVICE which issued on Jul. 12, 1983 to Olson shows, in FIGS. 10 and 11, a tool for inserting barbs into an irrigation line.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,464,807 entitled DENTAL INSTRUMENT which issued on Aug. 14, 1923 to Clark shows a plier type tool having a punch at the far end and an anvil portion which cooperates with a recess.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,419 entitled DEVICES FOR PIERCING TUBES IN CLOSED PRESSURE SYSTEMS which issued on Oct. 17, 1972 to Tura and U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,718 entitled TAP LINE PLIERS which issued on Mar. 21, 1995 to Roinick Sr. are representative of several patents showing plier type tools having a lower jaw which supports a tube and an upper jaw which has a punch.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,722,142 and 5,893,201 both entitled INSTALLATION TOOL FOR IRRIGATION EMITTER BARBS which issued on Mar. 3, 1998 and Apr. 13, 1999, respectively, to the present inventor provide a tool for using the irrigation emitter barbs themselves as a punch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,262 entitled INSTALLATION TOOL FOR IRRIGATION EMITTER BARBS which issued on Jun. 24, 2003 to the present inventor provides a tool which utilizes a spring loaded punch and cradle to create the holes for insertion of the irrigation emitter barbs. This invention has proven satisfactory for insertion of irrigation emitter barbs but users have indicated a need for a tool which provides a more satisfactory means for trimming and cutting irrigation tubing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,652 entitled CUTTING TOOL FOR FLEXIBLE PLASTIC ONDUIT which issued on Jun. 29, 1982 to Robertson provides a cutting tool useful in cutting, inter alia, irrigation tubing. It does not provide a mechanism for inserting irrigation barbs into said tubing.
The present invention meets this need.
None of the known prior art disclose the combination set forth herein.